Joris Van Straelen was named assistant coach of the men's basketball program in the summer of 2026.
Van Straelen comes to Chestertown after spending the previous two seasons at Hood College as the graduate assistant. The team went 16-10 in his first season and 26-4 in his second where they won the MAC Commonweath Championship. The team also hosted the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament and took a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
Before his time at Hood, Van Straelen worked as a student assistant at Catholic University, assisting with scouting, recruiting, and player development. In his last season with the team, they won the Landmark Conference Championship and hosted both the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the round of 32. A native of Washington DC, Van Straelen graduated from Catholic University with a degree in Operations and Sports Management.
